AST2003H - Astronomical Techniques

Course Outline:

This course combines a large practical component (radio and optical astronomy practicals) with theoretical background in astronomical techniques, instrumentation and data analysis. The techniques, instrumentation and data analysis section includes: Positional astronomy: time systems, spherical astronomy, co-ordinate systems and conversions, astrometry; Detection systems: interaction of radiation and matter, ultraviolet and optical detectors; Optics and telescope design; Multi-wavelength astronomy: infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma–ray astronomy, fundamentals of radio astronomy; Observational techniques: photometry and spectroscopy; Orthodox statistics: probability distributions, Chi-squared distribution, propagation of errors; Stochastic processes and noise: photon noise.